Raul Malo

I think you could make the argument that no band embodies the fusion country moniker better than The Mavericks. The pioneering group came together in 1989 in Miami, Florida and throughout the 90s racked up acclaim and awards. In 2003 they broke up and nine years later reunited, leading to their comeback album In Time. Throughout all of this, The Mavericks pushed the envelope better than almost everyone in the genre. The group combines classic country with a variety of sounds, most notably Tex-Mex, Latin, rock and soul influences. The band at the time of their comeback was made up of frontman Raul Malo, guitarist Eddie Perez, bass guitarist Robert Reynolds, keyboard player Jerry Dale McFadden and drummer Paul Deakin. In 2013 many in country music focused on another comeback album and the debut of another prominent fusion country artist, but it was The Mavericks who delivered what I believe to be the best of the year and an album for the ages with In Time.

The album opens with the jovial-spirited “Back In Your Arms Again.” The song revolves around the reunion of old lovers who swore they would never want each other again. Prominent mariachi horns accompany the song throughout giving it a decidedly latin flavor. It’s pretty much the perfect song to open a comeback album and a quick reminder of the band’s creative style. “Lies” is about a man never coming to grips with the lies his woman tells him, as he just can’t bring himself to shake her hold on him. This appropriately segues into “Born To Be Blue,” a man who feels he’s forever going to be heartbroken because he can’t win over the woman he loves. Malo’s smooth as silk voice is one of the best in the business and it’s a song like this where you really feel this because he adds so much emotion to the lyrics. The mashup of guitars and accordion do a great job of setting the tone too.

There are many fantastic songs on this album, but the gem and perhaps the best song The Mavericks have ever recorded is “Come Unto Me.” The band is perfectly in sync on this song. The lyrics are gripping and delivered with a high level of gravitas from Malo (who also solely wrote the song). The instrumentation comes together to make an infectious, soulful, Tex-Mex sound that just sticks with you. On the digital version of this album there’s even a Spanish version of the song as a bonus track, which I found to be a cool extra and demonstration of how great music is great no matter the language.

The mournful “In Another’s Arms” shows the group can shine just as bright on the quieter moments on the album. The song is about a man reflecting on the love not lost between him and his ex, but now they each rest in arms of another lover. Despite this love, they can never be the ones in each other’s arms. I love the way Malo achingly delivers the line, “If only I’d have known/That the love that lingers on/Still makes the world go ’round.” It really adds a lot of heart to the song and gives it the level of importance needed to resonate with the listener. “Fall Apart” is about the age-old realization that it’s better to have loved and lost it, than to have never experienced that love at all. It’s about taking heartache and the memories of being in love and turning it into new love. It’s also yet another song on this album that is immediately infectious and catchy.

A blast of horns introduce “All Over Again,” which is about an old lover continually turning up to break your heart over and over again. While this topic is nothing new in country music or any genre of music, it’s amazing how Malo and company are able to so perfectly capture the emotions of the situation (regret, denial, uncertainty, trying to change). “Forgive Me” is a slow-waltz heartache tune about coming to grips with your heartache. The song has a somber, yet dreamy feel, which makes you picture a sad man sitting at the end of a dark bar trying to repair the shattered pieces of his heart. The accordion-laden “Amsterdam Moon” is a sort of wistful song about how the moon is always there to guide through the night. But tonight a man decides he’s going to stay up to watch her instead, paying her back for all of the nights she’s watched over him.

The Mavericks delve into heartbreak again on “That’s Not My Name.” The song seemingly implies it’s about a man being in denial over being alone after finding out his woman ran around on him and now coming off as the “biggest fool in town.” The upbeat and fun “As Long As There’s Loving Tonight” is about…well sex. It’s about the constant cat and mouse game of making love and breaking up over and over. But as long as there’s sex, both sides will keep playing the game. The song has more of a jazzy influence, with the multiple horns. This gives it a night on the town type feel, which suits the lyrics well.

“Dance In the Moonlight” is a fun love song that makes you want to dance in the moonlight of course. This is another song that wears it’s Tex-Mex influences on its sleeve and makes me wonder why more country artists don’t explore this in their music. The album closes out with “(Call Me) When You Get To Heaven,” a sobering song about reuniting with a loved one when you get to heaven. While there a lot of fun moments on this album, don’t overlook this closing song, as it’s perhaps the best sad song from The Mavericks. The eery organ play sets the tone and Malo’s voice carries the emotion needed to drive across the soberness of this song.

While this album runs a bit longer than I like albums to run, the quality on In Time is simply overwhelming. Each song on this album packs a punch in some way and utilizes all of the elements at its disposal. You won’t find many voices better than Raul Malo, who is just a natural talent that was meant to sing. This man could sing the phone book and make it sound amazing. The rest of the band though just goes together so well too. Their ability to mash together so many different sounds can’t be understated, as most bands could not pull off this vision and level of creativity. In Time is one of the best demonstrations you can hear of how to make country music fresh, exciting and immediately engaging.

Album’s Top Highlights: Come Unto Me, As Long As There’s Loving Tonight, Born To Be Blue, Back In Your Arms Again, Dance in the Moonlight, In Another’s Arms